Birthday Reflections: 29

As I embark on the last year of my 20's, I thought I would take some time to reflect on 28. I decided to us a simple format of fairly generic Q & A's about my past year of life. Sometimes I think that the nature of my blog (fashion and beauty) doesn't allow my readers to really get to know and connect with me on a personal level. Hopefully, this will provide you with a little more insight into who I am. 

28th Birthday

29th Birthday

1.What new things did you discover about yourself?

I never really thought of myself as creative before, but last year I started the blog and realized that not only do I love creating material for it, I consistently seem to have more inspiration than time to manifest it into a post. 

2.What single achievement are you most proud of?

I probably should say finishing another year of law school, but honestly for this year I am most proud of starting my blog from scratch and watching it grow.

3.What was your favorite place that you visited?

I would have to say Beaufort, even though I've been there many times before. I have been in love with the quaint little waterfront town for a long time and I love spending time with my family there as much as possible during the summer.

Taking off on a late-afternoon boat ride with my Aunt Lori

4.Which of your personal qualities turned out to be the most helpful this year?

That would definitely have to be my ability to intensely focus on something I want. It served me well in making it through another year of school and starting the blog.

5.Who was your number one go-to person that you could always rely on?

Without a doubt, my mom. She has been invaluable to me this year. From visiting potential apartments for me when I was at work, to helping me move into a new apartment, to sending me special cards in the mail all the time just to me know she was thinking of me, she has really been supermom this year. I don't know what I would have done without her!

My mom

6.Which new skills did you learn?

BLOGGING! And let me tell you, blogging is like it's own area of study. There should be a four year program for it. It's definitely do-able, but it's something I've had to invest a lot of time into. The program isn't exactly self-explanatory, but I persevered and figured it out!

7.If someone wrote a book about your year, what kind of genre would it be? A comedy, love story, drama, film noir or something else?

Definitely a comedy! I swear some of the stuff that happens to me is stranger than fiction! And I read a lot of fiction! I have to laugh at things because if I don't I will end up in a padded room.

8.What was the most important lesson you learned?

Unfortunately I was involved in a major car accident right before Christmas, and I definitely learned to appreciate how dangerous driving a car can be. I have also gained perspective about the importance of arriving somewhere safely as opposed to quickly. Having that accident was one of the worst experiences of my life, and it has definitely left its mark on me, but I think that I am an even more careful driver than before. 

                 

9.What book or movie affected your life in a profound way?

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. I wrote a full review of the book here. Basically, it made me open my eyes to the dangerous people who walk among us in the world, and to become more aware and vigilant of my surroundings when I am out alone.

10.What was your favorite compliment that you received this year?

This may surprise some of you, but my readers' positive commentaries on my blog posts have been my greatest compliments. It still seems surreal to me that people actually read my blog. Regardless of how smug I may look in the pictures, the "girl behind the curtain" is as vulnerable and insecure as the next person. Your comments really mean the world to me. Keep them coming! :-)

11.What little things did you most enjoy during your day-to-day life?

I became a full-out craft beer lover this year. I spent a lot of time with friends at the Flying Saucer trying tons of different beers. I have really developed an appreciation for premium beer! Additionally, I enjoyed blogging, of course, and I developed a new appreciation just for coming home to my awesome new apartment!

Image Source

12.What was your most common mental state this year (e.g. excited, curious, stressed)?

I hate to say it, but I am being honest here. I would have to say stressed, with intermediary periods of excitement. I have a natural propensity to feel anxious and stressed. I have been diagnosed with a classic case of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. While I no longer take medication for it, it's still something I deal with every day. Add to that my ridiculous schedule (full-time job, full-time law student at night) and you've got the perfect storm. Furthermore, the accident last year has left me with periods of anxiety that feel overwhelming at times, especially when I have to drive somewhere. All I can do is use my cognitive therapy techniques to cope. I know that my life won't always be this way, and since I am on the tail end of my 3rd year in school, I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Just gotta keep on swimming!

13.Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary?

Failing my law school classes. I don't know how to explain this, but other law students will understand. A big challenge of law school is that it messes with your mind, and it's meant to. Since so much hinges on your final exam, it's easy to freak out until you get your grades back. But I didn't fail anything, so that was wasted stress. 

14.How did your overall outlook on life evolve?

I continue to gain confidence in myself as I age. I think a majority of women (and men) struggle with their self-image during their teenage years. I definitely did. Being a teenager is hard. Your feelings are delicate, you feel social and physically awkward, you're extremely impressionable, and you are bombarded by the media with unrealistic standards of beauty. One of the things that bothers me about the literature and propaganda out there about self-esteem and self-acceptance is that they seem to imply that it happens overnight. Like you can just snap your fingers and decide to love yourself exactly the way you are and live happily ever after. This is not reality. Learning to love who you are is something that is achieved through baby steps and hard work over a long period of time. I just hope that I can continue to grow in this area and become more comfortable in my own skin.

15.What advice would you give your  early 28-year-old self if you could?

I would say "Relax. You make it through and everything turns out OK." :-)